Howling Roar
by SilverWolfKnight7
Summary: Set in a world of fantasy, a Wolf Kin and a Leopard Kin meet and in that moment fate is set into motion once again and a forbidden romance is born... A romance some would kill to break apart... A furry style story. Please leave reviews.
1. Chapter 1

**For a while now I have been thinking about how to do chapter 4 and nothing has come to me. So after sitting down and rereading my first 3 chapters over and over, I felt many changes were needed to bring chapter 4 to life. One of the major changes was that I gave Sapphira more role within the story as I felt it was a little too focused on Lucian which left it unbalanced in my view. Another was I wanted more dialogue not only between Sapphira and Lucian but to have them interact with the other characters too, along with changing some of the scenes some and adding more to them to spice it up so I hope you enjoy the reborn Howling Roar. **

_**Chapter 1: Fateful Crossing of Swords**_

Smoke flittered across his vision and the distant sounds of small skirmishes echoed in his sensitive Wolf kin ears as Lucian surveyed the devastated battlefield. His wolf like head swiveled back and forth, the nose at the end of his long muzzle sniffing the air lightly trying to sort out the scents around him for any danger. Keen deeply golden eyes with wolf style iris scanned as far as they could through the smoke of battle, seeking any movement around him that might reveal an enemy. Glancing down, Lucian eyed the many dozens of armored bandits who he had slain just minutes before and then to his own body to check for wounds.

Standing seven feet tall easily, Lucian was an imposing figure of a Wolf kin, dark blue grey armor covered most of his body, with a long mane of his naturally deeper steel grey hair sticking out from around the collar area. Tail wavering slowly behind him, his clawed furry hands slowly tugged and stroked each part of his armor and he noted a few more dents and scratches in it from the battle but nothing had pierced it. He wore no helmet like some Kin do, the weight and the feeling of it upon his head just felt unnatural to him so his hands moved up to check for any wounds there. Lifting his head up he stroked through his furred neck, face, and muzzle, the soft white fluffy patch of fur running up along neck and under his chin clean of his blood but some remnants of others blood spotted it.

Suddenly his wolf style ears rotated sharply towards the sound of approaching footsteps, he could barely make them out soft as they were, but there was someone there in the fog to his left. Turning sharply and training his vision towards the sound of the movement, Lucian sniffed the air trying to see if it was friend or foe while his hand reached over his shoulder to grasp the handle of his massive Great sword. He was ready to face down whoever it was that might emerge from the willowy smoke, but when a figure did emerge from it he found himself stunned by what his eyes laid upon.

The smell was unmistakable even though her shimmering emerald green eyes could not yet see it clearly through the fog, Sapphira knew that up ahead a battle had taken place and someone still lingered there. Her Leopard kin ears wavered back and forth seeking a sound to pick up on while the nose of her short catlike muzzle sniffed lightly finally locking onto the scent causing her ears to fold back in caution realizing it was a wolf kin scent. Even though she was running at an incredible speed the young leopard kin easily leaped over and around the many bodies of fallen bandits, her tail flicking wildly side to side to help keep her balance.

Sapphira's golden yellow colored fur was spotted with characteristic black rosettes and even in the low light of the smoke filled field it shimmered slightly with each movement of her toned legs. Her long flowing hair matched the color of her fur almost exactly just a shade deeper and it wavered through the air tied into a long ponytail that made it more manageable for battles. She wore only a light set of cuirass armor polished in a golden hue and trimmed with silver just the way Sapphira preferred for she liked the mobility the lighter weight armor gave her. Easily standing six feet, Sapphira was the very image of the perfect leopard kin, lean and well muscled in all the right places and her clawed hands gripped one elegant long sword, claws digging into the handle in anticipation of the coming clash. On her head she wore a gold weaved pattern tiara, at the center of its intricate design laid a bright blue gem worth more than anything in the world to Sapphira, thinking of it brought a smile to her face.

Her catlike eyes narrowed piercing through some of the thin haze of smoke and making out a large imposing figure straight ahead and her sword whipped up into position for a quick first slash. Just another loathsome bandit, that is what Sapphira thought as she closed with her whole being at the ready to attack and defeat anyone that would stand before her. But when she finally dashed close enough to really get a good look at the immensely tall wolf kin, something gave pause enough that Sapphira stopped almost immediately and even her fighting stance loosened some.

'_Beautiful…'_ The thought was the first thing that crossed Lucian's mind as his vision checked every aspect of Sapphira's figure which stood mere meters away from him. There was a twinge somewhere in his chest as his nose caught a deeper more clear reading of her scent, struggling to place the familiarity of it to his memory. He had seen so many other females from other kin's, yet this one seemed leagues different from any other he had encountered, something about her making the feeling in his chest grow every moment. His arm which had been readying his weapon began to slacken as his gaze focused further on this strangely enticing opponent, Lucian becoming lost in the feelings she stirred within him. As his golden eyes roamed her body they finally came to rest upon the reflective deep pools of radiant green in the leopard kin's eyes and Lucian felt so drawn to them the grip on his swords handle almost failed. '_She is not of my Kin and yet her beauty….'_

"Fool! You dare stand before me in such a manner when an enemy stands before you!" Sapphira saw the opening, how Lucian's guard had lowered greatly when their eyes met, his hand limply lose from his weapon. Strong muscled legs easily propelled her forward at great speed, hands tightening once again upon her sword as she prepared to slash through the armored wolf ahead. At the speed she was closing and the way he still had not brought his guard back up fully, Sapphira thought the fight would be over with one swing of her sword. But with each step closer she took, the feeling she first had deep in her chest began to throb more, increasing as Sapphira's nose took in more of his scent so different from others she had met before. Most wolf kin she had fought against had been larger and wearing more bulky armor, yet this one was almost lean in body shape with trimmed armor styled for easier movement. But it was his face and eyes that threw Sapphira off enough that she stumbled on something, breaking her stride enough that Lucian had time to get his guard back up further. '_What is happening…? How is it that just by looking upon this wolf kin I find myself almost captivated…'_

"Hey…. Hey! Slow down there, I am not here to fight against you!" There was a loud clash that echoed across the area as metal slammed into metal, Lucian squinted his eyes as sparks exploded from the impact of his blade against Sapphira's. He found himself amazed as his arms struggled with the blow of her long sword as it was easily more powerful than he imagined it would be. Even more amazing was the look in her feline eyes, deeply drawing his own gaze into those endless fields of flowing green and Lucian found he could not break away from it.

"Nothing but lies, you are not of my Kin so that means you are part of this bandit army!" It was an obvious conclusion since most bandit armies tended to have several different kin within their ranks, and with no official knight seal visible upon the wolf's armor, Sapphira figured he was another bandit. Gritting her teeth a slight grin crossed Sapphira's lips as she enjoyed the challenge, growing excited as she felt her sword being pushed back by Lucian. The feeling was strange yet exhilarating at the same time and Sapphira struggled to push Lucian back with her own blade only to feel the sensation increase deep in her chest. Still she would not let those feelings deter her from winning this fight, her feet planting hard against the ground Sapphira pressed hard against Lucian until he gave enough for her next move. Sliding her sword up along his she felt his own blade heavily lean to the side giving her the space she needed to parry it away from her own. "Is that all you can do with your sword because I am not impressed!"

'_She's good! Its thrilling being in battle with her, seeing the way she moves…' _Growling Lucian put more strength into his arms hefting the heavier blade of his weapon upwards with great speed, barely managing to block the swift attack from Sapphira's lighter sword. The reverse slash from her sword being parried did not catch Lucian off guard and his grin only grew broader as their swords crossed again, his blood pumping furiously from the excitement. She amazed him with her skill with a sword as much as her beauty did and Lucian found himself almost admiring her looks while dodging her deadly skilled blows. Deep pools of vibrant emerald stared at him past the crossed blades of their swords, drawing Lucian into their depths for he saw a spark of enjoyment within them and not the fury of an enemy.

"Well since you won't listen to me, let me show you what I can really do with my sword and knock some sense into you!" The next clash and parry sent both of them hurtling back at incredible speed, still facing one another as they slid along the ground until they stopped themselves by planting their feet firmly against the ground. Lucian stared past the edge of his blade as he held its length straight forward towards the shapely figure of the woman before him and tried his best to keep his focus away from her haunting beauty. Holding her sword at mid level and back slightly, Sapphira found herself short of breath as she struggled to stay alert against the ruggedly handsome figure before her. Their eyes locked upon each others, searching the reflective shimmering depths and seeing that they both were feeling the same for each and they grinned slightly.

"You are much more skilled than some mere bandit, but I still am weary of you for there is something about you that is disturbing. Are you some kind of rouge warrior or maybe a wandering sword who does nothing but slay others for the pleasure of seeing blood?" Even as she spoke, Sapphira felt a bitter taste in her mouth, as if her own mouth rejected saying such words of insult to him. Her leopard ears folded back half way in annoyance at her own indecisive feelings as her deeply green eyes narrowed. _'Why would a wolf Kin warrior of his caliber be here fighting in such a petty battle within Leopard Kin territory? None of this makes sense at all, but I intend on getting answers from him no matter what it takes.'_

"I find it amazing that even after crossing swords with me, you would think I am some brute who only fights to kill. Did you not listen to the resonance between us, the feelings and emotions that vibrate within the very air when our swords met? You just need to listen to them…" Lucian's words were true; he could see the conflict of emotions in her eyes and the way her long sinewy tail wavered slightly. Yet he was not being true to his own heart, his past was slowly surfacing again causing an ache in his heart. A low growl escaped his muzzle as he stood there shaggy grey tail wavering slowly and long pointed wolf ears folded back in aggravation. _'I should not be here in this land…. I dishonor the dead by stepping foot here, but she draws me closer with the resonance I sense between us.'_

"Yes… I sensed it, heard it with every blow, the echo was a melody unlike the discord from those bandits I had fought with before. But we are not done yet, you have crossed swords with me and we must finish our duel now and when I have bested you I will have all of my questions answered!" Sapphira's sword snapped back up suddenly in salute to Lucian then she dropped into a slightly crouching stance, ready to continue their fight.

"You truly felt that which few I have ever known can and mastered such skill with a sword!" Lucian loved the feeling of his blade countering this powerful feline's swift blade and the faint smile upon his muzzle was ever present. Perhaps she would be the one, the one to end his wandering days once and for all, and if so it would be poetic justice. But he would not let her have victory over him so easily, even now his lupine blood was furiously burning in his veins, driving him forward to attack even more fiercely. To die by the hands of a lovely leopard-kin such as her would not be a terrible way to go his thoughts wandered for a moment, his smile disappearing before he spoke again. "I truly admire a woman who can hold her own in battle like this!"

"As if I care about the admiration of a lowly swordsman, but take pleasure in the thought that I commend you on your own skills." Sapphira blocked and exchanged blows with Lucian again, impressed more than she was letting on by his strength and skills with his massive sword. So long had it been since her skills had been truly tested like this warrior was doing with her now and her blood was on fire, so alive with every swing she took at him. He was marvelous not only in fighting form but in his physical form as well, even for a mere wolf his lupine features were dashing handsome.

"Ha-ha you are truly one stubborn woman, I like that about you! Very well then if that is the way you want it, we shall fight and when I have won I will leave you and your questions far behind me!" Taking up his great sword again, Lucian slammed it into the ground pointed tip first then bowed his head slightly. The next moment he pulled it up holding it tightly with both hands, standing at the ready for the next clash, a wild almost feral grin on his face. Once again they dashed forward with powerful strides, this time putting their full strength into their movements determined to discover the truth of their feelings with the next strike.

A powerful blue aura gathered around the massive blade of Lucian's great sword, archaic runes of magic lighting up along the flat side of it as his aura flowed into it readying the special ability contained within it. There was a tremble of power flowing through the very air around the sword, a sharp biting cold as chilling as frozen ice grew stronger every moment. Sapphira looked in surprise for only a moment, amazed that he also had the skill to call upon a magical aura that only the most skilled warriors could posses.

Not willing to be beaten so easily, Sapphira ran her hand along the length of her blade a warm reddish aura illuminating the entire length of it as red runes appeared along it. The energy burst forth from the blade smoldering in the very air around her as it radiated a flaming heat around the weapon gathering strength with every step she took. Lucian was surprised as well, not having sensed from their earlier clashes that the beautiful woman could command such a skill and it only excited him further.

The air around the area crackled with the clash of the two powerful auras as Sapphira and Lucian drew closer with each step they took towards one another determined to finish the fight. Swords drawn back swirling with cascading powerful auras around them, the two warriors met once again with swords slamming into each other and the power exploded outward. The resulting impact of forceful energies created a massive vortex engulfing the still lingering mist and smoke around them, then pushing it away rapidly even smashing a hole in the clouds hovering way above, bringing light back to the world. Lucian and Sapphira stood with their swords still crossed, so close their bodies were almost pressed together as they struggled to still overpower one another having seen their special powers break even. It was a marvelous feeling of nearly electric current running through them both and they were equally dazzled by the fact they both knew how to use such aura magic.

"That was amazing… truly a first time for me ever seeing that happen." Lucian breathed in that sweet scent from off Sapphira, her luminous eyes reflecting such a bright verdant green that it was dazzling. His body was responding to both her looks and her scent, it excited him more than any female wolf-kin had done before and suddenly he realized he was becoming aroused by her. Her leopard-kin mating musk shouldn't be having any effect upon him, but that was the only thing he could think of that would make him become this excited. That could only mean though that she was finding this fight just as arousing as he was and Lucian could not help but grin some as he pressed harder against Sapphira seeking to get closer to her.

"Yes amazing… such a stunning display of Aura magic is truly rare." Even more stunning was the scent coming from Lucian as his strength pressed his body closer to Sapphira's, it was almost overpowering with how masculine his musk was. She had experienced such things before with males of her own kin, but this was something totally different, so much more feral that it sent shivers of longing down her body. It had to be his mating scent, but how could it be so strong, it was sending her body into slight shivers as she became aroused from its potent strength. Soon it began responding even more, growing warm and wet in her most intimate spot as she leaned in towards Lucian trying to get closer to him as well, seeking his touch.

But in time their attention was drawn slightly away from each other as their eyes took notice of the new figures surrounding them and the strange new scents now coming through the cleared air. Twelve figures dressed in all black clothing stood holding wicked curved sharp knives that were the same kind used by assassins, perfect for quick stabs and slashes. Even their faces and tails were covered in black making it impossible to tell what kin they were and they covered their scents with something strange so scent identity was not possible. Lucian turned his attention back to Sapphira a minute later and they stared at each other with their swords still locked together wondering who the new figures were allied with.

The new foes surrounding him shuffled around just slightly and Lucian could not tell whether he was the target or the girl before him. Lucian wiggled his ears slightly in intricate movements gesturing words with ear speak towards Sapphira hoping she would understand. _"Are they with you?"_

Almost caught by surprise, Sapphira was slow to respond at first but she easily caught the meaning of the movement of the wolf like ears upon Lucians head. Few Kin she had ever met knew how to speak with their ears and fewer still knew the ear speak of leopard Kin yet he spoke it almost with ease. She answered with her own slight movements of her golden furred ears, not as clear as Lucians but easy enough for him to read with his keen eyes. _"They are not of my Kin."_

"_Back to back then!"_ Just as soon as Lucian finished saying so in ear speak he surprised Sapphira by easing off on his sword until she did the same then twirling in place leaving her facing his back. From the way they stood and held the blades in their hands Lucian could tell the black cloaked foes were trained experts in killing which left him no choice but to trust the woman at his back. It was strange to him, never before had he ever trusted someone at his back he had just been fighting moments before. Yet something about her told his instincts she would not betray him and that he could be confident that she would do her best to cover him. In his heart he felt a strange determination that he would not let anyone harm the leopard Kin now pressed against his back.

Sapphira stared at the broad armored back before her, a long dark grey mane of hair wavering in the slight wind and tail fluffed out a classic sign of agitation for Kin. She was still surprised that the tall strong Wolf Kin before her was able to trust her with his back and the next moment Sapphira turned around wiping her sword back up into a defensive posture. This battle had been anything but normal and now Sapphira felt it was becoming something more just from having met the wolf at her back. She felt a calmness fall over her the moment she turned around as if Sapphira was relieved the wolf was there, even facing so many unknown threats she knew he would watch over her. For a moment their wavering tails crossed each other and the feeling of warm soft thick fur against her own made Sapphira shiver a little in pleasure. _'What is it about him…? I just enjoy this feeling of being close to him; it makes me want to know more about him…'_

"Here they come!" Lucian's voice was low but harsh as two of the strange assailants dashed forward, one coming at Lucian the other coming at Sapphira daggers held ready to strike.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2: Discord of the Past **_

The darkly garbed figures ran at incredible speed, but both Lucian and Sapphira were ready with their keen eyes following the attackers perfectly as they approached. Lucian noticed at the last moment just feet from him the change in stride and the slight shift in the way his eye's looked that the assailant was no longer targeting him. Sapphira behind Lucian saw the same thing in her own opponent as well, footsteps changing direction slightly and shifting his weapons aim just a little differently shifting away from Sapphira. In those few seconds when they both realized the other was now the target of the enemies they faced, something mysterious between Sapphira and Lucian linked them and they moved almost as if one being.

"You will not harm her!" Lucian's body twirled around to the left and his massive great sword swung across the open side of the shrouded figure coming from the way Sapphira was facing. The great sword arched through the air quickly with so much power it cut the fiend clean in half with ease sending each part flying in a different direction. Something was strange about it though, the scent and sight of blood was nonexistent even though Lucian had seen his attack hit home on his opponent.

"You will not bring harm to him!" At the same time Sapphira twirled her body smoothly to the right her sword slashing diagonally through the assailant coming from Lucian's direction. The stroke was brilliant as it was deadly, not only deflecting the blade in the figure's hand but also ripping through his chest for a killing blow. The dust on the ground actually danced around the pair as they finished their movements standing where the other had been moments before, swords still held tight and slight grins on their faces.

"So… Who is next…?" Lucian looked up from where his foe had fallen but when he sought the next one there were none to be found anymore just the bodies of the slain. Sapphira looked around in slight surprise as well, seeing that all the other figures had departed in the moment that they had been busy fighting the attackers. A few moments passed before the pair slowly turned to one another, swords still drawn yet the tension from before drifting away on the wind.

"It is strange… we fought in a way only those who have been together for sometime could ever have…" Sapphira's voice was soft with interest as she looked up again into those smoldering golden Wolf kin eyes while sheathing her sword slowly. His long grey furred lowered slowly, smoothing out as his body calmed down from the battle and Sapphira admired his rugged handsome wolf like features.

"Yes, but stranger still is the bodies of our attackers…" Even as he spoke the words, Sapphira looked to where Lucian's gaze rested amazed to see only grey ash remained of the cut down adversaries. Leaning down she gently touched it with her hands, but she could only sense a small portion of the lingering magic which had given them form. Even as she examined them, Lucian found himself drawn into examining Sapphira's elegant form as he was even more interested in her after seeing how fast she reacted to keep him safe. Her fur color was so much more creamy and smooth than most any other Kin he had seen and his longing to touch it, stroke his hand through it was growing stronger.

"If you are done staring… It seems they were definitely made with magic, but I have no idea by whom." Lucian looked away slightly embarrassed that he had been so into looking over Sapphira he failed to notice her turn to look back at him. She sighed then stood up her hands upon her hips, tail swaying slowly behind her but a much more mischievous look upon her face. "It seems the battle is over today… the bandit forces are retreating and I doubt someone as skilled as you would be part of such a group. Now tell me Sir Wolf Kin, why would a warrior like you be on a battlefield in Leopard Kin territory?"

"To be honest I was just passing through… the name is Lucian milady, I am a wandering mercenary for hire. I only entered the battle because some of the retreating bandits ran across me and well I figured I could make some good money off their gear. Now if you don't mind, I would like to know of your name milady and why someone who obviously comes from royalty would be in the midst of such a battle?" There was no surprise in Sapphira's eyes when Lucian guessed at her royal lineage; instead she smiled more at him finding his attention to detail even in the middle of battle very interesting. Her leopard like ears fluttered some in response as Lucian kneeled down before her as it was protocol when dealing with royalty and she felt a blush running through her face, fur rippling slightly on her back. His name echoed over and over in her head as if she had heard it once before, but even as it bothered her she could not place exactly where she had heard it, only that it had been long ago.

"I am Sapphira Alusia, princess royal of the kingdom of Alusia and 2nd in line to the throne and it is a pleasure to have met such a skilled fighter as you Sir Lucian." Her voice was even softer than before and Sapphira smiled slightly to herself seeing Lucian's ears quiver slightly in a way that told her the tone of her voice was pleasant to him. Just looking at him made Sapphira feel strange, as if there was suddenly a small fire blooming within her chest growing warming with every moment she laid eyes upon him. Her name resounded in his mind, something familiar about it and something even more so about the family crest upon the shoulder of her armor.

_"They have met once again…. This is not good at all. Already it is calling to them, drawing them closer… This must not be!"_

_ "We cannot change what happened this day, but it is as you say that we cannot allow this to flourish any further."_

_ "Our men cannot stand up to them when they are together like this… we must do something to separate them to weaken the bond. Once that is done we shall eliminate the wolf and once he is gone the princess will be fair game allowing our plan to move forward…"_

_ "There attraction grows stronger by the moment… fortunately the wolf's own past shall prove to be the perfect wedge to drive between them…"_

"Princess Sapphira! Thank the goddess you are all right!" The pair looked up to the large group of armored knights on horseback approached them and as they drew closer Lucian could see the royal emblem on their shields was the same as the one Sapphira had on her armor. Something flashed into Lucian's memories the moment he saw them, making his smile disappear from his muzzle and it was replaced with a darker look. _"She is from the Alusian Kingdom… It seems my past has caught up to me finally after all this time. I guess it was only a matter of time, but it is a shame… she will never look upon me with that pleasant smile again…"_

"Of course I am all right, no thanks to you! I was forced to waste my skill dispatching many foes while you sat back gathering enough troops you felt _safe_ enough to follow me!" Sapphira grinned confidently, her hands on her hips proudly posing strongly as her personal royal guard approached. The disgusted tone of anger in her voice made the knights before her unsteady and when Sapphira trained her angry gaze upon them many them then looked down unable to meet her eyes. She groaned in announce at them then turned to Lucian her pleasant smile returning as he looked back up at her an amused grin on his face. "You see what I have to deal with all the time Lucian?"

"Wait… did you say Lucian!" An older looking leopard Kin knight leaped down gracefully from his horse, he was easily as tall as Lucian but a lot more slender as the rest of his race. As soon as his feet touched the ground his hand was tight on his sword, his leopard ears were pressed back in a threatening posture as he eyed Lucian. Six other knights also dismounted, all of them taking up positions to the left and right of the older knight, hands already on their weapons and shields held at the defensive the looks in their faces deadly. "Princess, please back away from him slowly…"

Sapphira looked surprised; her ears upright and agitated as was her mood while she glanced back at Lucian who now stood up slowly a look of remorse etched on his face. "What is going on here Leonidas! You dare give me a command without even explaining why!"

"Because he is Lucian Greyfold, the coward from the battle of the Alusian Plains! It was his fault so many of our Kin were slaughtered during that battle including…" The grave depth in Leonidas's voice faltered for a moment as his gaze fell over Sapphira who stared back at him in disbelief and the fur on her tail fluffed out in agitation. Feelings welled up inside of Sapphira's heart, a battle of emotions taking place within her, conflicting with one another throwing her mind in confusion.

Her head was held low and her hands balled up into fists clutched to her chest as if she were suddenly struck with a great pain in her heart. The next moment she whipped around to face Lucian, gone was that sweet gentle look from before, instead it had been replaced with one of deep sorrow and confusion. She found it almost impossible to believe that such a skilled wolf, one who had declined to abandon her, dared to risk his life on her own skills could be the same one from two years ago. Suddenly that warm feeling which had been flooding her heart moments before was slowly starting to crumble, giving way to a darker memory which was slowly surfacing bursting up with pain and hatred.

"My sister Lumia... My sister died there because of you! Is this true, are you _that_ Lucian, that detestable coward who left her be murdered along with so many others!" The accusation flew like an arrow violently through the air and plunged itself into Lucian who almost rocked on his feet with the impact it had on him. The eyes of everyone surrounding him seemed to bore into his very fur, scalding him as he could feel the heat of the hatred in all except those of Sapphira. He looked into those emerald pools and realized that deep inside there she was wishing for him not to be the same Lucian, wanting him to be someone else. As much as he wanted to lie to bring back that warmer feeling in her eyes he knew he could not escape his own past, or the tragedy he had been involved with. _'I was a fool for remaining here for so long and even more so for letting my own feelings get the better of me.'_

"I am Lucian Greyfold, and whatever you believe about me, I am not a coward nor am I a traitor…" His eyes glowed with a fury and anger that made the knights along with Leonidas start drawing their swords, but when his gaze feel upon Sapphira he growled lowly. Her eyes were still in disbelief and even more so he swore there was a heart broken sadness within them, but above all that was a growing fire of anger. Unable to bear the look in those beautiful eyes anymore, Lucian turned away sheathing his huge sword and walking slowly away. "I am leaving now… If you try to stop me I won't be responsible for what happens."

"Coward..." Her voice was barely over a whisper, but Sapphira knew that Lucian had heard it by the way his pacing slowly, ears moving in reaction to the words spoken. His wolf like head turned slightly and she caught the glimmer of deep anger reflecting in those golden eyes, his voice came out feral and almost wild like a beast had been released. "What did you say to me woman….?"

"I am not just some woman, I am Princess Sapphira Alusia and in case you did not hear me clearly enough I called you a coward! You ran away two years ago in the face of the enemy and now you run away again in the face of your accusers instead of facing the judgment you deserve!" He whirled around as the last few words left Sapphira's lips and there was a sudden gust that erupted as if responding to the look of seething anger Lucian displayed. But Sapphira did not back down, instead she held her gaze level with his own, the power radiating between them made the atmosphere thick with tension.

"Your eyes… they have the same determination as your sisters, I remember it so well even after these two long years." The moment he spoke those words, something in Sapphira roared from the depths of her soul, a spout of anger that had been buried for so long. In the next instant she crossed the distance between them as swift as lightning and struck Lucian even swifter leaving him dazed. The pain from his right cheek was intense, even more so was the shock of the slap and how it echoed so loudly across the empty rocky plains.

"A coward like you does not even deserve the right to think of my sister! Her death is upon your hands as is the blood of many others of my Kin and here you are wandering around as if you did nothing wrong! Do you know what kind of pain I have gone through because of what you did!" Lucian's face was a mixture of shock and anger as he stood there, but all of that was nothing to what he felt when he looked again into Sapphira's eyes. Tears gently streaming down along her cheeks softly and Lucian could see the pain eating away at her through those deeply emerald green eyes, making his own seem so petty in comparison.

Her heart was a grieving hurricane of mixed emotions, part of her still longed for the closeness she had shared with Lucian, yet a whole flood of anger and sorrow crashed over it pushing her away from him. She felt the darkness of the anger within her growing and consuming her warmer nature as it had almost two years ago, such a cold feeling getting larger in her chest. Wounds upon her heart which had slowly been healing were now opened again, the pain laid bare upon her soul and so much anger about burst from her. Just when she thought she was going to collapse into that darkness she felt something brush up against her face and it made her gasp a little in surprise. Lucian's fingers gently stroked down along her cheeks, wiping away the streaks of tears there with his powerful clawed hands.

"You are a brave one, Princess, I will give you that. You were right though… as much as I hate to admit it, this one time I did act like a coward…" Lucian growled out the last few words, the bitterness of his admission making it hard, but his gaze still lost none of its intensity. Slowly Lucian reached back, unsnapping the sheath for his enchanted sword and then holding it up for Sapphira to take from him. There was as much surprise on her face as there was on the knights behind her, and she slowly reached out taking the heavy sword, marveling at how he managed to use such a weapon easily. "If you wish to judge me in your courts I will yield, after all I have entered your territory without permission and spilled blood here. I may have been exiled from my clan and my title to their honor severed, but I will not add to my legacy of dishonor this day."

"I accept and you can trust that I will keep your weapon along with your armor safe for you." Sapphira nodded her head to him and turned to Leonidas, the fire in her heart suddenly rekindled and easily driving back the shadows of cold within her for the moment. "Listen all of you! He is our prisoner now, he surrendered willingly without resistance so no matter what you may feel about him he will not be mistreated! We shall return to the castle where he will be placed within the dungeon to await judgment, until then no harm is to come to him. If anything should happen to him before he is judged, you will find yourselves in the dungeon quicker than you can blink!"

"Don't think you have gotten off easy Lucian…" Sapphira turned seeing that Lucian had stripped out of his armor only dressed in his under tunic, colored in black tight fitting to his large frame. If anything he was almost as imposing outside of his armor as he was in it and Sapphira admired it only momentarily before she walked up to him. "I still hold you responsible for my sister's death and I will never forget nor will I forgive you for it, but it is my duty as princess to bring you to justice. No matter what my feelings maybe I will see you punished for your crimes. This I promise you…"

_This I promise you… my heart will always be yours!_

The phrase echoed through Lucian's mind and right through to his very soul, something lost in time from his past, slowly surfacing, and such a familiar voice. Without warning he grabbed Sapphira startling her with his sudden movement, his grip tight on her arms as he looked deeply into her eyes with a wild desperate look in his own. "Say that again! Say it again now plea-!"

The next instant Lucian felt a shield smash into the side of his head with such force it threw him to the ground and blurred his vision. Leonidas stood over him grinning as he held his shield brushing it off as if it were dirty, but then Sapphira slugged him in the face shouting something at him Lucian could not hear from the ringing in his ears. The world started growing hazy and as his mind slipped from consciousness Sapphira leaned over him but her face was shadowed by another female feline. As he recognized who it was, a tear made its way from the corner of his eye…. _I am so sorry... Will I ever atone for my sins upon you?_

"Leonidas you have over stepped your bounds! He is my prisoner and no one else shall touch him or they will face my wrath!" Sapphira almost couldn't believe her tone as much as those around her, it almost sounded as if she were defending someone she cared about. Yet as much turmoil as there was in her heart over Lucian, she was already turning to kneel down next to his large lupine body checking the spot on his wolf like head where the fur was turning blood red. Spreading the bloody fur she inspected the wound and chuckled slightly at the bloody cut from the strike, seeing the flesh already healing itself as the legends about wolves said about their healing abilities. "It seems he is one very thick headed wolf…"

Sapphira strokes her hand through his thick dark gray fur, her emerald eyes lingering upon his handsome features, yet it twisted her heart with guilt for feeling attracted to the man who had left her sister to die on the battlefield. Such a strong and obliviously fearless wolf… how could he have been the one that had committed a cowardly crime, but there was no mistaking the name. Her hand continued stroking its way through his thick yet silky soft fur, and she had to practically tear herself away from his side as she felt the eyes of those around her watching her. "Bring forward the transports and call up the healers so we can treat the wounded! The battle is over for now, the bandits will not dare to make another raid upon on borders for some time, so get to your posts and help collect the injured or dead."

Her voice snapping like a whip in the air, Sapphira watched as her men instantly stood at attention then dashed off shouting commands to those under them. Leonidas strode up to Sapphira but before he could say anything she turned on him, her eye's burning with serious fire he had seen many times before and instantly he kneeled before her. "Before you say anything Leonidas we shall discuss this matter of your brash reaction with Lucian. You know as well as any other here I am fully well capable of defending myself and your reaction was far out of line for an unarmed prisoner. Explain yourself and make it good…"

"Milady… He is the one who killed Princess Lumia, I could not stand by while he put his filthy hands upon my princess." Sapphira looked down upon him and she could not fault Leonidas for reacting the way he did, yet such a violent attack upon a surrendered prisoner could not be over looked. Lumia… Sapphira could almost see her sister now, feel what she would do in a situation like this and she nodded her head slightly deciding what to do a moment later.

"You did right by defending your princess, but next time I want you to exercise restraint in the way you do so with prisoners! If you don't I will make an example out of you by having you clean every wing of the dungeon for an entire month!" Leonidas nodded his head slightly as he took every word Sapphira spoke to him seriously then stood up saluting her, eyes avoiding her scolding gaze. "Now before I get any more angry, get back to your command post and ensure those who are injured are being treated properly, both prisoner and our troops alike."

"Yes milady! You there get the healers over here quickly and tend to this prisoner…" Sapphira's mind tuned out the rest of the world as she gazed up Lucian with equal seething hatred and admiration, her heart being torn in two by the conflict within it. She lifted her hand to her short muzzle sniffing slightly at the lingering sweet strong scent of Lucian, it was more enticing than cat nip to her and she shook her head amazed at her own actions.

"Who are you really Lucian? I have to know… I want to know the truth about you…" Sapphira stared down at the wolf-kin, her eyes blazing with the fires of emotional war raging in them. She tore herself away from looking at him, taking a deep breath as the healers moved in to tend to Lucian starting to walk away. "I want to know the truth so I know whether or not my claws shall take your life in justice for the loss of my Sister…"


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3: Guilty to a Fault**_

Lucian groaned a little as he finally came to, his ears flickering slightly as he rubbed his head gently to try to relieve the headache he was experiencing. Even though it was pitch dark around him Lucian could tell he was chained up in the back of a rather large prisoner wagon that was moving at a rather fast pace. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness glowing slightly green as he took a closer look at the cold iron chains holding him. Not only were they reinforced iron, but he could sense a slight magic to them meaning that the moment he attempted to break them something nasty was bound to happen. The cool crisp feeling and scents upon the air could only mean night had come, Lucian figured he had been out for at least a few hours for night to have come already. Checking his surroundings once more his eyes rested upon his armor bundled in the far corner along with his meager supplies, yet his sword was nowhere to be seen. Lucian never liked his sword being out of his reach for even a moment and his grumbling as he sat back showed how annoyed he was at the whole situation. Still, Sapphira had given him her word she would keep his sword safe… and those words put him at ease slightly as he tried to rest, his mind lingering slightly on her faint scent.

A short time later the wagon began to slow and the sound of gravely dirt roads gave way to the smoother more even tone of cobble stone lined streets causing Lucian's ears to perk up some. His long muzzle angled itself slightly to better catch the few stray scents in the air and they made his lips curl back slightly. The air was full of the scents of leopard kin, so many so concentrated that it could only mean he was inside a city full of them and that meant the end of his journey would be coming soon. So much time spent wandering the world after what had happened, trying to atone for sins that weighed him down like the chains wrapped around him now. It would be a relief to feel them finally lifted and yet something in his heart said otherwise. A sudden stop of the wagon and the sounds of dozens of armored knights approaching him, wakened Lucian from his reprieve and he steeled himself for what was to come. The next moment a familiar feline faced emerged as the large barricaded door to the prisoner wagon opened; her eyes reflected a darker shade of verdant green in the dim torch lights around the wagon.

"Lucian… it is time for you to meet your fate. This is my city of Laysis, here my word is law and we have a special custom for judging those who are accused of the most heinous crimes. You will face your crimes and be judged by the mystic lady Akisha whom can read through the minds of those accused of crimes, bringing to light the truth of their guilt. " As she spoke, Sapphira found herself once again admiring the strength within those lupine eyes before her, even in chains Lucian seemed so intimidating, and yet she also felt something else behind his gaze… Could it be regret, is that what she saw there, but in a moment it disappeared and once again that stoic look was back.

"A knight who has surrendered would only do dishonor to himself to dare such a thing… I gave myself to your custody and so I shall remain until you decide what is to be done with me. But I must say I do not regret our meeting Sapphira… though I do wish it had been under better circumstances." Those last words surprised even Lucian as he spoke them, even with his heart still full of guilt over the death of Sapphira's sister, she drew such emotions from his heart that his words flowed out upon them.

For a moment there was a slight quiver in her whiskers along with her own gaze which softened for only an instant before turning serious. Sapphira backed out some beckoning to Lucian to come out slowly and she reached grasping the chains binding him pulling him out slowly out of the wagon. He was even more imposing she thought as his sleek gray furred body rippled slightly with each movement radiating the restrained strength within. When they came close to each other for a moment, their heads almost touching one another she whispered something softly that she hoped only his keen ears would hear, something that surged up from her heart that she could not contain.

"I wish that we had as well…" Sapphira felt as confused as the look Lucian gave her before she pulled him clear of the wagon and then readily shoved him into the waiting gauntlet of red armored knights standing by to take him. "Take him to lady Akisha, his fate shall be judged by her this night, for his involvement with the death of my sister the elder Princess!"

Lucian was pulled and prodded down what seemed likely nearly endless corridors before arriving at a rather imposing set of fifteen foot tall intricately ornament maple doors that even the guards bowed to respectfully. As he stood before the massive door an unsettling feeling of power radiated from behind it and it only grew more so as the doors slowly began to open making him want to take a step back. The next instant there was a loud sound, metal grinding slowly upon metal and finally the tall doors began to swing outward and a dull light from within made Lucian's eyes narrow. Lucian felt the guards press the tips of their pole-arms into his back urging him forward and with a growl of annoyance he did so slowly still wary of the feeling coming from the room ahead. Massive stone pillars engraved with thousands of archaic runes were arrayed into seemingly endless rows on either side of Lucian as he continued forward cautiously. The guards suddenly stopped and they crossed their pole-arms in front of Lucian halting him roughly and his growl of anger echoed along the pillars as they stood before an impressively huge set of beige curtains. Sniffing the air slightly Lucian could tell there was someone sitting behind them and his sense of smell was proven right as torches along the room suddenly came to life. Rows of them attached to the pillars burst with flames and finally some behind the curtains did so as well illuminating the shadow of a figure sitting on what could only be a tall throne.

"Well I am going to take a guess you are the lady Akisha… nice place you got here. The thing with the torches was a nice touch, going to have to learn that trick sometime…" One of the guards slapped his weapon back, the shaft slamming into Lucian's chest yet he barely moved from the impact. He was not about to allow anyone to intimidate him now, his wolf nature would not allow him to show weakness even when confronting what might be his own death.

"I see you have much arrogance to go along with your bravado young one…" Her voice was soft yet scolding to Lucian's ears, almost like a mother talking down to her child and that bothered him more than the guard's roughness. "You are here to be judged, and that very judgment will decide whether you walk out of this room alive or not. Yet still you stand there daring to speak as if you have not a care in the world, no burdens to worry you… Intriguing..."

"You speak as if you know me woman, but what do you know of my burdens! I will tell you this, my fate, my life, everything that I am is my own and mine alone! Pass your judgment or whatever you want to call it, I grow bored already of all of this so called justice, so get on with it already."

An intense gust of wind exploded down the hall, the long curtains hanging from the ceiling billowing wildly and the guards stepped back rapidly. Lucian doubled over as something slammed into his gut with the force of a steel cannon ball and he was on his knees gasping choking back a gagging reflex.

"You would do well to silence your tongue pup, or I shall silence it for you! Do not think your bravado enough to see you through this, I can sense it all even from here, your façade." The voice was stinging in his ears so much Lucian had to struggle to hold back the whine in his throat his fur raised in frustration. Yet even in his state his eyes flared with emotions stronger than even Lady Akisha could believe one could muster in the face of her overwhelming power. _'This one is not so open like the thousands before him… I can sense it though. When I struck him, his emotional barriers dropped for a moment and I felt it, such a swirling maelstrom of emotions in his heart. I know what I must do now… it will be tricky and yet somewhat amusing I think…'_

"Guards I tire of this insolent runt, take him away to the dungeon and lock him up. We will continue this another time when he has had some time to cool off in solitary confinement…" For a moment the guards looked stunned and they had all rights to be, for it was rare if ever the lady did not pass judgment upon a prisoner upon the first meeting. "Do not make me repeat myself... Stop standing there looking like newborn kittens and follow my commands!"

"As you wish milady!" Their tails sliding low almost between their legs, the cowering confused guards lifted Lucian from the floor and began hauling him from the room. He could barely walk still but his body was slowly recovering from the blow and it still intrigued him what she had used on him that could strike a blow that nearly paralyzed his whole being. _'She is no ordinary woman that is for sure… I shall have to be more careful around her…'_

"Lucian…" Sapphira whispered his name as she watched his body being dragged out of the hallway, and she moved quickly out into the hall, brushing past the guards there and standing defiantly before the shade of Lady Akisha. "I demand an answer Lady Akisha, is that wolf Lucian guilty of murdering my sister or not? I have never known of you to fail to pass judgment upon someone, nor having them sit in the dungeon when it should be easy for you to see the truth!"

"Princess Sapphira… Do I question your judgment on matters of this kingdom? Did I question you as to why you brought him hear instead of simply taking your revenge the moment you found out who Lucian was? I have seen into your own heart, your feelings for him are laid bare before my eyes even now, I see the turmoil there." Sapphira looked away blushing slightly in embarrassment as she knew she had spoken out of turn and even more that the guards were looking at her, wondering about her strange behavior. "Whatever judgment I choose for that wolf-kin will not settle what stirs in you, that you must solve yourself. I will say this, see not the truth with your eyes nor with your heart, see it with your soul and you will find the truth that you seek. Now I must retire and think upon this matter you have brought to me milady Sapphira."

The flames around the hall died away and the shadow of Lady Akisha faded from view, leaving Sapphira even more confused than she had been before. She began wandering back to her own quarters her own feelings so distraught by the indecision of Lady Akisha and her own feelings on Lucian."See what truth with my soul… All I can see is Lucian, even now he haunts me like the death of my sister Lumia. I want to hate him, truly hate him for it with all the anger in my heart and yet my soul denies me from doing so… but why?"

Hours later Lucian groaned as he found himself once again bound in enchanted chains but this time locked in a small dungeon cell. The bars themselves were not enchanted but they were definitely made of high grade steel so there was no way even with the chains restraining him Lucian could break them to get out. His thoughts of escape faded though as his mind drifted back to Sapphira and of another leopard kin woman like her, making him lean back against the cold stone wall. "It seems I find myself haunted by you and your sister… Sapphira…"

"Hey are you talking about the princess in there?" Lucian sat up suddenly looking around trying to find the source of the voice echoing slightly in the dungeon he thought was empty besides himself. His eyes locked onto a pair of small leopard like ears poking out from around the edge of where he could see out just past the bars of his cell and a moment later a pair of shimmering blue-green eyes followed. They looked him over curiously and then the small figure of a young leopard kin girl emerged from around the corner into view. She was wearing nothing but a small plain dress in a rosy pink and a pink bow with a ribbon tying her hair back into a long pony tail giving her a playful look. "Oh wow… you are a wolf kin aren't ya mister? You are the first one I have ever seen before in my life mister."

"Hey kid… quit calling me mister, I ain't that old but I will be if you keep referring to me like that…" Lucian grunted in frustration as he shifted uncomfortably on the shabby mattress of his cell and the young leopard girl giggled at him. "What's a kitten like you doing in such a dangerous place like this anyway?"

"Oh I like to wander around the castle, my mommy and I live here and she works as a royal maid in the upper chambers. It's so exciting because I get to see princess Sapphira all the time; she is almost like a true big sissy to me tee hee." The young kitten of a leopard-kin wandered slowly with her arms folded back behind her almost playfully dancing around as she observed Lucian slightly. His eyes followed her, a little wary about the strange idea that a mere young one like her could have gotten into a high risk area such as this. "So how do you know her mister wolf sir?"

"Lay off the mister and sir, your making me feel older by the moment. I just met Sapphira recently in battle and because of that this is where I ended up at kid, and my name is Lucian." Something about all this still bothered Lucian, especially since there was the same faint scent he picked up in the chambers of lady Akisha. She has something to do with that enchantress, and Lucian was not in the mood to play games that involved using children. "Now if you are done staring at me like some kind of strange beast, you should be on your way before the guards catch you down here."

"I just wanted to get to know more about the wolf the princess finds so interesting… I was talking with her in her room earlier and even though she had some mean things to say about you, she also said something else interesting." The young girl giggled as Lucian suddenly leaned up, loving the interested look now flowing from him and she laughed slightly at him making him snarl a little. "Do you want to know what she said Mr Luci?"

"If it will get you to stop calling me that and finally go away, then by all means tell me girl." Lucian felt embarrassed the girl had gotten to him to crack his cool exterior, but still he could not resist knowing what was happening with Sapphira since he had last seen her. His thoughts were constantly resting upon her, so strange that she captivated so much attention from him just at the mere mention of her name.

"Look this isn't the place for a young kitten like you to be wandering around, get out of here…" The annoyed tone in his voice along with the way his ears pulled back slightly, announced like a beacon that he was not amused with his current company. Ignoring the frustrated huffing from the girl, Lucian closed his eyes leaning back against the cool stone walls, his fur ruffling slightly as he tried to get somewhat comfortable.

"I really wanted to know is, are you the one they say killed her older sister?" Lucian's eyes opened slightly at the sudden question, his annoyance giving way to cautious curiosity as he glanced over to the young one. She was no longer dancing around the room and that sweet playful look was replaced with something more solemn, her eyes gazing into Lucian's as if searching them for something.

"Yes I killed her…. Now go away!" Lucian broke eye contact as he spoke those words, nearly spitting them out with frustration, and something more mixed in with the emotions coming from him. It had been so long since he had really thought directly about it, having said those very same words so many times in far past times yet it was all so freshly bitter to him. The bitterness only spread further it seemed the harder he tried to push it back into the dark corner of his mind, it had only grown stronger there in the time since he had last hidden it there.

"I don't believe you…" Those words made Lucian lean back up, surprise flittering into his expression slightly and his wolf ears folded back slightly, annoyed now by this little girls games. Her feline features displayed disbelief at his previous statement, green eyes reflecting steadily into his own as Lucian moved closer to the bars between them. "You don't really believe what you are saying… you just feel guilty somehow like it was your fault."

"What do you know about it! It was my fault, but I never truly meant for her to die… it was…" Lucian slammed his fists upon the ground and growled as his eyes narrowed, furious rage echoing in them as the memories he had struggled to keep hidden broke through to the surface. In that moment the young feline girls eyes glowed a brighter shade of green, such a hauntingly beautiful aura flowing from them as she gazed not at Lucian but seemingly into his very soul. Lucian stumbled back from the sudden weight and impact upon his mind as something powerful probed it, breaking past his already startled mental defenses until it found what it sought there.

"I know everything about it now…." Gone was the figure of the young leopard-kin girl; instead stood an older looking mature leopard-kin woman, her tail waving slowly as she stroked her extremely long bundled hair in her hands softly. The bright green glow of her eyes reflected easily in the low light of the dungeon as she regarded the prone figure of Lucian lying unconscious in the cell, his mind unable to take the double impact of having his most terrible memory dragged out and laid bare. Her face was narrower than most of her kin, but it still retained those distinctive curved short ears and her lips curled back slightly in a devilish smile revealing her sharp predator like fangs. Her body was covered only in a shimmering sheer gown, sapphire blue silken fabric which left nothing to the imagination as it clung to her soft supple curves. Reaching out with a slender feline hand, Lady Akisha drew slowly in the air with the clawed tip of one of her fingers weaving her magic even further within Lucian's mind.

"Damn… you… Stop looking at it!" Lucian growled struggling to his feet, his fangs bared and sharp wicked clawed fingers flexing with need to tear into something. He was back there again, in that battlefield, his mind now thrown back into the past, even the same scents and the echoing silence of the dead surrounded him. All around him lay the fallen, so many leopard-kin warriors whom he had sworn to protect were now dead, the weight of the guilt began to overwhelm him once again.

"You are the first I have ever had to resort to such trickery to peer into the depths of their soul… my dear Lucian…" Lady Akisha's voice was soft spoken as she glanced over the prone figure of the wolf-kin before her, his eyes were unfocused as her magic weaved its way through his mind slowly dragging out the truth hidden within it. "But now I see why I had to, such a terrible burden of guilt you have weighing down your heart and you have held onto it for so many years. You are guilty, yet not in a way, so this makes passing judgment upon you very difficult…."

"You fought next to her elder sister; you were tasked with guarding her unit during battle and leading them assistance when needed. Yet the one time her life was truly in the gravest danger, you did worse than nothing…" Lucian looked down at his feet and his eyes became filled with a wild look of desperate disbelief seeing the lovely curved face of a young leopard-kin woman, her eyes glazed over with death's grasp upon her. It was that same as back then, Lucian fell once again to his knees before her, overwhelmed by the emotions in his heart as his hand reached out shaking towards her. The moment it touched that lovely golden fur, her body shattered becoming a golden mist, the rest of the world melting with her into golden dust. "You pulled your forces away leaving her to die overwhelmed by the enemy, a needless death that is upon your hands along with so many others!"

"I was following my orders, I was ordered to pull back, I had no choice but to honor the command!" Feeling something warm and sticky upon his hands, Lucian looked to find them crimson with blood, the scent of it the same as hers when he held her dying in his arms. His breathing became more erratic as he struggled to overcome the growing guilt and anger within his chest, threatening to drown him.

"Yes you may have been following your orders… but I cannot imagine why you felt you had to follow such strange orders… orders your instincts felt were very wrong." She kneeled down gently, pulling the hem of her crystal light blue dress slightly so it would not scrap along the ground, taking a long deeply thoughtful look upon the wolf before her. A smile crept upon her features, and she softly stood back up taking one more look at Lucian before slowly walking towards the exit from the dungeon.

"I sense it is time the full truth of what happened to be revealed, but I know you now Sir Lucian and I feel you will not give up that truth so easily. So I will rip it from you, tear it out of the place you have buried it, smash what you have become and we will see if you have the will to live once everyone knows the real truth…" Her smile was wicked in such a way that even the hardened veteran guards of the prison cringed as if they were staring down some powerful predator. "You and Sapphira have a destiny Lucian, one that was set into motion so long ago and if you cannot fulfill it I will end your life here and now…"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

"It's the same as before…" Sapphira's voice was barely above a whisper as she walked within the woodlands, following the same path she had so many times before as it lead her deeper into the woods. Eventually she arrived like always at a small clearing full of flowers, the fragrance of them filling her nose as the sunlight streamed down in thin rays through the tree tops over head. Sparkling clear water rippled lightly within the pond at the center of the small field of beautiful blooming flowers as the warm spring breeze flowed around Sapphira.

"Nothing has changed at all, not in all these years and yet still something about all of this feels strange." The next moment Sapphira's gaze was drawn to her right as her sensitive ears picked up the echo of footsteps coming through the woods and she readied herself taking a small breath. She knew what was coming next, it was always the same thing every time with this dream, shortly her older sister and Sapphira herself would emerge as children into the clearing that played in all the time when they were younger. This same dream had been haunting her many nights since the death of her sister, a memory of her childhood, of a special time they shared together in a secret place.

Leaning against a nearby tree, Sapphira smiled warmly at the comforting feeling she got from this dream, it was wonderful seeing her sister again like this even for only the time until she woke up from it. But the sight that greeted her when the pair of figured emerged out into the open caused Sapphira's eyes to open wide with shock and she stuttered out a curse almost unable to believe what she was seeing. "What in the hells of the underworld is going on!"

She easily recognized her younger self, but the figure holding her hand as they entered the open area was not that of her sister's childhood version. A boy, a young wolf-kin boy with a kind gentle smile upon his face, deeply golden eyes so lively as he happily smiled at the younger Sapphira whom smiled back at him shyly. Sapphira stared at them both, confusion within her gaze and as the two sat upon the edge of the shimmering blue water she noticed another figure on the opposite side of the children. "It can't be… What is he doing here!"

"I was going to ask you the very same question…" Lucian emerged from the shadows, his towering wolf-kin body exposed all except for the portion covered in the silvery white loincloth draped around his waist. This was not the dream Lucian remembered, it had always been one where during his childhood he had come here to play with another wolf-kin girl, a dream he had been having a lot recently these past few years. Strange as it was to see that the girl who was obviously not a wolf-kin present there with his own youthful version, it felt right in his heart, as if this was what the dream was truly meant to be.

"Is it not bad enough you dominate my thoughts while I am awake, now you intrude upon my dreams as well?" Sapphira looked down at the children who were smiling playfully and seemed to be chatting but their words were silenced and this worried Sapphira more as she wanted so badly to hear what they were saying. She could not understand it, but a feeling was swelling up inside her heart, as if this were something meant to be, the scene of the two young ones enjoying the company of one another. "This was a dream where my sister and I shared happy moments together as children in this place, and yet she has been replaced by someone else…"

"That is me, but how can this be, how can we have dreams so alike and yet now suddenly with us together in them?" Lucian could not hear their words either and it bothered him because the two of them looked so happy together, yet he could not ever remember seeing himself this happy during the dreams before. His eyes looked back at Sapphira, admiring how beautiful she looked, such a graceful elegant body, slender and yet supple at the same time, dressed in only a sheer creamy white cloth that revealed her details slightly. He held back a growl of desire as he looked down to see the pair of children now embracing each other warmly, such a sweet innocent look upon their faces as they spoke without making a sound Lucian could hear.

"You both feel it don't you?" Lucian and Sapphira turned in surprised as Lady Akisha appeared as a ghostly figure standing next to the children, the smile on her face cool as she looked over them. "Both of you know the dreams you have been having were meant to truly be this dream, but now is not the time for you to hear the truth these young ones are speaking."

Sapphira started to ask her what she meant and Lucian was about to do the same when the world around them began to grow fuzzy, fading slowly from their sight into a world of darkness. The entire scene started to dissolve and a light began to poor down from above the illumination revealing a world of images swirling around Lucian and Sapphira before everything suddenly went dark. "Both of you will awaken to the truth soon enough…"

"Lady Sapphira?"

Sitting up suddenly at the sound of someone knocking on the door to her bed chambers, Sapphira looked around slightly upset for a moment over the dream before answering back. "What do you want?"

"I come bearing an important message from the High Council of Elders milady, they requested I bring it to you immediately." Sapphira grumbled as she slowly slipped out of the bed, wrapping a nearby robe over her bed attire and then walks to the large set of doors. The guards on the outside of her chambers hear her footsteps and they open the doors allowing Sapphira to step through them. The young messenger looks down, holding the letter up to Sapphira who takes it then retreats back into her room without a second glance.

"What could those old fangs want with me now…" Already upset and still confused by the dream Sapphira started reading the letter, but her expression changed slowly as she continued through it until at the end her hands were trembling. Disbelief flowed from her gaze as her tail stood high and ears curled back in agitation once she finished reading and even her fangs were bared slightly. "How dare they do this without my consent!"

"_Lucian… What are you doing laying there like a lazy pup?" _

"_Lumia…? I thought you were…. I mean how can you be here?"_

"_You thought I was what? You are truly acting strange today Lucian… Come, up on your feet, we have many more battles before us this day!"_

"_Yes my lady Lumia, I shall be there at your side, I will be your shield and sword!"_

"_But you were not there like you said you would be, were you Lucian?"_

Lucian awoke slightly startled by the louder and much closer sounding voice and immediately he realized he was still imprisoned within the dungeon, the dank smell agitating his nose further. As his eyes adjusted to the low light coming from the thin flames on the torches lining the sides just outside of his dungeon cell the figure in front of him slowly begins to come into focus. Her figure he easily recognized, such slender yet well curved sleek furred legs and hips encased within a sheer night gown poised gracefully as he gazed upwards. The loose silvery fabric of the gown crossed in two sashes across her chest leaving her smooth furred belly open and the shape of her firm breasts pressed against against the sashes as they lopped around her neck.

It was the same outfit from the dream and for a moment Lucian thought he was once again lost in a dream of her, but everything felt sharp to his senses so he knew he was truly awake. It was then that he realized that they had both been in something more than a mere dream, something that held significant meaning for their lives. As he looked up into those luscious green eyes that stared down at him defiantly, Lucian thought for a moment he would be consumed by the passion burning behind them as he sat up respectfully before her. "Sapphira? What, might I ask has brought you here before me this night?"

"I felt compelled by my duty to come here to inform you of Lady Akisha's decision regarding your life…" Sapphira spoke the words softly but in truth that was not the only reason she was there in front of him. The truth, she had to know the truth about the dream and whether the Lucian within it had been the real Lucian or simply a part of the dream. But the news she was about to tell him might change whether he would even talk to her again and it upset her even more than she already was. Her eyes were steady as she spoke the words softly, a little remorse slipping into them towards the end and the emotions behind her gaze betraying a slight sadness. "You will be called to trial the next day where your crimes shall be presented before all present and then executed afterwards…"

"Executed… I expected that would be the judgment that she would come to after seeing the truth with her own eyes." Lucian said it so casually that for a moment Sapphira was at a loss for words, unable to understand how he could be so calm about being told he was to be put to death the very next day. But then she noticed the look in his eyes had changed from the last time she had seen him, and it bothered her greatly seeing those magnificent eyes so empty where once they had been filled with such fiery spirit. "I shall accept the Lady Akisha's judgment, I am after all guilty and I have lived far longer than I should have."

"Why are you acting like this! What was it that happened between you and lady Akisha that broke your spirit!" Sapphira stared down at Lucian, her long tail snapping back and forth reflecting her agitated mood with her fangs bared slightly. Her movement was almost too fast for Lucian to follow as Sapphira reached through the bars grabbing him by the long mane of fur around his neck and pulling him tightly against the cold steel bars.

"I am tired of these games, I am tired of constantly being in the dark about the truth of what happened to my sister! All I have ever been told was that some wolf-kin that was supposed to be her protector ran away from battle abandoning her to die, but I have always felt there was more to it than just that. As angry as I am at you for her death, even more so I want to know why you did it, why you left her to die out there like that! Tell me you damned wolf, tell me why someone like you would abandon her to deaths grasp and then dare to occupy my thoughts, even my damn dreams!"

So they had shared the same dream together, thought Lucian as he looked at Sapphira, this interested him, but at that moment the sting of her accusations had rubbed him the wrong way. Growling deeply Lucian reached out with his strong, furred hands grabbing at Sapphira's gown drawing her against the bars as she snarled back at him, almost hissing in anger. What did she know about how he was feeling, how conflicted she made him feel deep in his heart and the pain still lingering there so strong from Lumia's death. The blood of Sapphira's sister was on his claws, telling her the truth and details about what had happened would not change the fact he was responsible for her death. "There is so much more to it… But that doesn't matter anymore! Every time I told what happened it was a waste of time, no one listened, no one cared, nor believed beyond the simple fact that she died and it was my fault! Now leave me alone, this is the death I was meant for years ago when I let her die in my arms, so leave damn you!"

The silence in the room was heavy, only the soft deep breathing of Lucian and Sapphira could be heard within it as the air was thick with regrettable tension. Their eyes steadily staring into one another lost within the swirl of emotions burning behind them as the pair simply exchanged their feelings through them. With a suddenness that made Lucian loosen his grasp upon her there was a change in Sapphira's gaze as she lowered her face looking away from Lucian, her heart aching with such deep pain. Lucian felt the same, and his grip slackened further until Sapphira was freed from it. Growling softly Lucian turned around, the anguish in his own heart at seeing her so torn up emotionally weighing him down even as he tried to not let it bother him.

"I have had enough of this, I grow tired and tomorrow shall be a long day, for one of us at least…" Sapphira's voice was harsh once again, as she struggled with the war of emotions being waged within her and her fur rippled slightly along her back. Her eyes roamed Lucian's bare back, even with such thick fur she was amazed by how she could still see the way his muscles flexed beneath it as he turned slightly to look at her. A long muzzle any wolf would be proud to have, his dark grey fur ruffled slightly in agitation along the back of his neck as his beautiful deeply golden eyes focused once again upon Sapphira. "Lucian… I did not order your death. Lady Akisha and the Council members held a secret meeting to determine your fate without my presence there to oversee it…"

"Are you serious? I did not think a Council of elders could hold council without the royal family present." Lucian's face was a mixture of sudden interest and curiosity as he turned more toward Sapphira allowing her to view his handsome wolf-kin features those sharp ears rotating towards her.

"Yes that is true, but when they called me to meet with them, Lady Akisha explained that she had convinced the council that I had grown too emotionally attached to the situation involving you. So they decided on their own to leave me out of the decision of what to do with you Lucian, and I have to admit that they were correct in doing so." Sapphira looked sternly at Lucian see the look of interest upon his face fading completely to curiosity and she could not resist staring at the rippling fur upon his broad strong chest. She had never seen a barely clothed wolf-kin before and Sapphira found herself having a hard time keeping her the desire to touch that rugged firmly shaped body.

"I would have thought they would have wanted you there for that… the only emotional attatchment you should be feeling for me is anger for the death of your sister." Lucian knew he was doing it again, pushing Sapphira away from him even though deep in his heart he longed to draw her closer to him. She stirred up such feelings within him, ones that were so different from any other female in his life and it confused him so much. She was so lovely and he could see in her eyes that they were taking in his own features at the same time his own were doing the same for her lovely figure.

"I am angry at you, but not in the way you would think… I am angry because you will not tell me what happened between you and my sister! Damn it Lucian, they did not want me there because they knew I would refuse to allow them to execute you, I don't want to see you dead!" Sapphira growled at Lucian, her emotions once again set loose with wild abandon as she slammed her balled fists against the bars. In that moment she realized with surprise that tears were welling up within her eyes and she lowered her head until it rested against the cool steel bars. "To be honest, it's not just the fact I want to know the truth from you… but also I want to know you better, to know what we shared in that words we shared together as children in that dream. Even though everyone says you are the coward who got my sister killed, my heart tells me different and from the moment I met you I felt drawn to you."

"I felt the same way about you Sapphira…" Surprised, Sapphira suddenly felt a hand, warm and heavy rest upon her head and she looked up to see Lucian's wolf-kin features staring down at her sadly. She started to rear back and lifted her hand in frustrated anger that he had her so confused about her own feelings, but in the end it simply gripped his arm holding it so his hand would not stop touching her. She never wanted it to stop, the feeling was so good and became even better the moment she felt his fingers curl around through her hair to stroke her soft pelted leopard ears. "From the moment we first met, I have not been able to stop thinking of you, wanting to get closer to you… but the moment when I realized who you were, I tried to push those feelings away."

"After seeing us together in that dream like that, I know now that we share something special, something that neither of us is truly aware of. I know you felt it too Sapphira, a connection between us in that dream, those children are the key to why we have these feelings for one another even though we hardly know each other." Lucian loved her, he could not bring himself to say it, but he felt it just the same in his heart even amongst the confusion in his own mind about that dream. He softly growled as Sapphira started to stroke his arm, her claws lightly streaking along it making him shudder a little with desire to feel more.

"Lucian, whatever the truth about my sister's death is, I know in my heart I could never truly blame you for it. I have seen it now in your eyes, Lady Akisha dragged up that incident which had so haunted you for years and forced you to see it again, see my sister die there before your eyes. I have heard that is her favorite way to draw out the truth from those she judges and then uses what she witnesses to properly pick out their punishment." Sapphira loved Lucian, that feeling she knew was true there in her heart, but she could not bring herself to say it to him, not now. That dream had unlocked something more within her heart, her feelings for Lucian were now even stronger and Sapphira knew she had to know the truth behind that dream of them as children.

Lucian was caught off guard when Sapphira pressed her arms through the bars of the cell reaching up to his long muzzle and stroking it softly with such loving care. Her touch invoked such stirring feelings within him, such a wonderful touch even more than before and Lucian leans into it some unable to resist the pleasure of it. "Lucian… I know you do not like to think upon it, but as a favor to me will you please tell me, tell me about what happened between you and my sister?"

Sapphira looked up into his powerful eyes and was relieved to see them full of life unlike earlier, the bright golden shimmering slowly returning to them and she smiled as he nodded his head. Lucian stroked along her head some more hearing Sapphira purr a little, a slight smile crossing her face and those luminescent eyes glowing happily. "I will tell you what happened three years ago, I still do not believe it myself sometimes when I think of it."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Past to the present, then back again…

"Damn these bandits! Press forward men!" Lucian growled as his shield blocked the blow from a bandit to his left while his own sword slashed out cutting through one to his right then coming around to arc through another enemy. All around Lucian, his valiant armored wolf knights fought hard throwing themselves into the massive group of bandits and taking them down, yet more seemed to appear. There were more of them than even the worst estimates for the plan could account for and because of that fact alone, Lucian knew they had been betrayed.

"We have to cut our way through to Princess Lumia and her troops before it is too late! Ignore the enemies at our flanks and charge forward!" Growls and howls answered his command as the wolf-kin knights rallied around Lucian and charged forward with roars so fearsome the bandits were stunned for a moment. That was just what they needed and dozens of bodies were left in their wake, most of them falling to the fighting power of the wolves while others tried to flee from the fury of the wolf-kin.

It was ten minutes later when they finally cut their way to the center of the small village that had come under attack from the bandit army and where the last remnants of the leopard-kin force was besieged. Throwing caution to the side, Lucian barged in seeking the familiar figure of Lumia and he eventually found her squaring off with a rather large, dual sword wielding bandit. "Lumia! Hold on I am coming!"

"Lucian, you truly have the worst timing!" Lumia moved with a grace Lucian had seen many times before yet always found so stunningly beautiful with slender, powerful, muscled legs propelling her forward. Grunting loudly, her opponent swung the two massive swords in a crossing scissor like movement hoping to catch Lumia between them. But that was not to be as the swords sparked impacting one another, only catching open air between them, Lumia already having leapt upwards over them. Her own slender blade slashed down and Lumia landed gracefully while her foe smashed to the ground dead behind her. Lumia grinned at Lucian, parrying the blow from a knife wielding bandit, her blade easily reversing to cut through him as she stood back to back with Lucian. "Can't you see I am rather busy here?"

"That is just why I am here!" Lucian shrugged off a blow with his shield and countered with a stab from his sword as his keen eyes took in the battle before them. The bandits were still charging forward and his valiant wolves were slowly beginning to push them back, but the damage had already been done to the leopard-kin forces, whose ranks were nearly devastated. "This isn't right… Bandits don't attack constantly like this especially considering their losses compared to ours!"

"They have been paid to fight us and, in fact, I am sure they were paid a lot to make sure none of us made it out of here alive!" Another group rushed the pair of them, armed with a variety of weapons, but none of them could match the skills of Lucian and Lumia who dispatched them with little injury to themselves. "The traitors I am seeking have revealed themselves to me through this incident and there is only one group who could have set this attack up. Lucian, we must end this battle and end it now! We will break the enemy, they are already unsettled by the fact my forces fought them so hard, we just need to push harder!"

Though the bandit force was still fighting, Lucian could tell that with one very strong push they could probably break their spirit and he nodded his answer. The look in Lumia's eyes told him she was experiencing a bloodlust after seeing most of her own kin die around her and the feeling of guilt resurfaced within Lucian's stomach. He had followed his orders and that was all there was to it, but that meant that the blood of the kin spilled on this battlefield was now on his claws and his mind kept lingering upon this filling him with grief.

'I should have disobeyed those orders she gave me! All these fine Kin died while I was sitting there, sitting far off letting them fight impossible odds when my troops could have assisted them and broken the enemy from behind easily! These troops were like her very brother and sisters; I can see how heartbroken she is just from the look in her eyes!' Lucian fought his way side by side with Lumia, but his heart was being dragged down deeper by the cold swelling guilt within his chest each time he saw one of her fallen, there were so many dead leopard kin mingled with bandit bodies. He had trained to be hardened against seeing dead comrades, but to see those who had died while he sat around doing nothing but hiding, it sickened him to the point that his stomach tightened in on itself with guilt.

"So you were both betrayed?" Sapphira's eyes registered the depth of sorrow within Lucian's own gaze as they sat facing each other through the bars of the dungeon cell. Their hands had been connected to one another's since Lucian had started telling the tale of the battle, Sapphira took hold of his early on. It had bothered her the way his hand had kept stroking then digging claws into his right thigh, which meant it probably was a nervous reaction from a traumatic wound he received during the battle.

"Yes, it became obvious to us both and I think that more than anything, Lumia wanted to punish those who would betray their own kin and ensure that they were brought to justice. I could see it in her eyes just a little, the grief of having had to watch so many of her kin die because of some traitors from her own kingdom." It felt good, the feeling of Sapphira's hand wrapped around his own, making it easier for Lucian to tell his tale, much easier than any other time he had told it. Still the guilt remained in his mind even as he continued telling the tale, drawing closer to the moment when his life fell apart.

"We were sent there to trap the bandits who had been crossing from Leoaprd-kin territory into the territory of my kin, raiding Wolf-kin villages and leaving them in ruin. At least those were the official orders Lumia told the high council, though in reality she was there to not only get rid of the bandits but to discover who was giving information to the bandits allowing them to escape from any patrols. She knew it had to be someone high up and the way the bandits ambushed us told her that much. She gave me specific orders that she said were key somehow to her plan for revealing who the traitors were."

"So that is what my sister was really here to do," Sapphira leaned closer to Lucian at least as close as the cold dungeon bars would allow her to, longing to be able to comfort him. She could see he had struggled telling the story thus far and the hardest part was soon to come and Sapphira could see the look in Lucian's eyes growing cold with dread. "What happened next Lucian?" She had to know.

"We pushed on fighting like demons against the bandits and soon their ranks began to thin, but I could not get the feeling of guilt out of my heart and it distracted me at the most crucial moment..."

"Lucian, look out!"

Lucian was distracted by the feelings of guilt and never noticed the well-armored bandit lurking behind him and Lumia's warning was the only thing that saved him from being impaled through the chest. Even as he twirled to move out of the path of the thrust, Lucian felt an intense pain erupt from his right leg as the lance smashed through his thigh and blood spurted from it. His sword slipped from his hand as he slammed into the ground sliding a bit from the combination of his movement and the powerful impact from the lance buried in his leg. Lucian could tell his leg was crippled from the blow and he growled deeply in pain as he clutched at it then howled as the lance was pulled forcefully from his leg.

"You did well to dodge my first thrust little wolf pup! It is rare that I, the great and powerful Alial Sazh should complement an enemy, you should consider yourself honored!" There was wicked malice within those eyes, the feral, powerful radiance from them actually made Lucian freeze the moment his eyes met the other's gaze. Never before had Lucian faced someone with such a purely malicious and killer look, eyes that could stare down death itself and humble it with but a single glance.

Alial was a tall broad bodied Lion-kin, his deep golden fur stuck out from the collar of his blood red armor and a scar crossed over his left eye, giving that eye a crimson red color unlike the other which was ice cold blue. His aura of strength was so overpowering that Lucian actually felt fear keeping him from making any kind of move even as Alial began to raise his lance for another strike. "Pathetic! What a cowardly look in your eyes, weak ones like you don't belong on the battlefield!"

Death was streaking down towards Lucian, but met resistance in the form of Lumia's shield as she dashed between them, barely being able to shrug off the powerful blow her stance nearly crumbling from it. Her own sword lashed out with fury, but it drew no blood as Alial moved impossibly fast for a Lion-kin of his size, parrying the reverse slash from Lumia with his lance. "Who are you to talk down to others you bandit scum?"

"Oh what a pleasant surprise this is! Here I thought that my men had killed you already, but I see I underestimated your skills and that is a mistake I will not make twice!" With a wicked cackle, Alial thrust forward with his steel lance, his speed was dazzling, and the form of his strike so perfect that Lumia shuddered as she barely managed to block the blow in time.

"We shall see if you your fighting skills can truly match your excessive boasting!" Her fangs bared and growling with animosity, Lumia attacked with a rapid flurry of quick thrusts from her long slender sword hoping to make her way past the blocking lance. While some of her blows managed to slip past the immense lance, a great many of them were stopped from even coming close to landing a direct hit and Lumia hissed with anger.

"What's the matter kitten?" Alial's teasing laugh echoed through the air as he countered Lumia's next stroke and his lance grazed her side and even that small impact was bruising. Much as she hated to admit it, this Alial Sazh was truly a deadly skilled fighter and he knew it as he pressed his attacks forcing her back. But worse was the way Lucian was laying there on the ground, he was obviously injured badly and it worried Lumia, but what worried her more was that look of fear in his eyes. His spirit was broken, probably the result of his terrible injury combined with the guilt of what she had made him do. She knew how he felt because it was something she herself had to live with as well.

'Come on Lucian, snap out of it! I need you to get up! Your leg is bust but you can still stand!' Lumia could only cry out in her head and plead with him using her eyes, trying not to draw this killer's attention to him and hoping he would stand so they could try to fight him together. As their weapons crossed again, Alial could tell Lumia was growing less focused on their fight as her earlier intensity had faded and he growled as he followed the line of her vision to Lucian.

"Oh now I see what the problem is, that stupid little cowardly pup over there is distracting you!" Alial thrust his lance once again and Lumia moved to counter it, but the thrust turned out to be a feint as he shifted it so it smacked her against the side knocking her off balance. Lumia expected a counterattack to follow up the thrust and was surprised to see Alial turn to face Lucian and start heading right towards him with that deadly lance held at the ready and bloodlust in his eyes. "Since you care so much about him, killing him should really get your blood boiling! Ha ha ha!"

"No! I won't let you harm him!" Lumia, desperate to prevent him from slaying Lucian, dashed forward right behind Alial as his powerful strides drove him towards his target at incredible speed. Her intent was so focused on protecting Lucian that as she lashed out with her sword towards Alial's exposed back, she never noticed the change in his posture. In the next moment Alial turned his head, looking over his shoulder with a wicked glint of evil in his feral lion eyes and his mouth parted in the most disturbing and evil fang filled grin. "Gotcha little girl!"

"LUMIA!" Lucian's anguished cry echoed in her ears, but her focus was lost upon it as the impact against her body stopped her forward motion almost immediately, knocking the air from her lungs. Lumia tried to draw another breath but her body was immediately wracked with pain and she coughed hard feeling something warm flowing from between her lips. The pungent odor and metallic taste of blood filled her senses and Lumia looked down to see the immense cold steel of Alial's lance plunged into her chest as the pain from the wound began to spread through her body. It was a strange feeling, her chest was on fire yet the rest of her body was slowly starting to go numb and even her tight grip on her sword was failing leaving it to clatter upon the ground. Lumia looked to Vaylen, her face streaming tears of pain and sadness as he looked back at her catching only the most brief smile show upon her face as she found herself wishing she could see his wonderful smile just one last time.

"You shouldn't let yourself get so worked up on the battlefield!" Alial sneered as he savagely ripped the lance from Lumia's chest then spun around slamming it against her and sending her flying against a stone wall, blood spurting from her chest leaving a trail through the air in her wake. Lucian watched, his body trembling with shock as he watched the lovely figure of Lumia's body slump against the wall leaving a trail of blood upon it as she slid down to the ground. Alial, his face still grinning like a demon turned to Lucian and hefted his lance up, once again readying it to strike a deadly blow. "On the battlefield there are those who live and those who die, you pup are going to join the dead because of your weakness!"

"Not today you bastard!" Alial dodged to the side at the very last second as a sword arches through the spot he was just in the moment before and he growled angrily at the interruption. The armored wolf knight with his dark blue-gray fur lashed out with his sword again driving Alial back further with his speed and accuracy of the attacks. The amber colored eyes of the wolf-kin flared with anger as he drove Alial back and the lion-kin growled even more as he heard many armored foot-steps approaching as he barely dodged yet another swift attack. Lucian watched as his friend Langston parried another blow from Alial and tried yet another counter but Alial was ready for it and blocked it, but Alial knew as much as Langston did that once the other wolves arrived the odds would be in their favor.

"Well this is annoying… At least I will get paid for killing the girl, it's too bad I won't get to finish you wolf pups today too!" Alial tossed something onto the ground and a huge explosion of smoke filled the area covering his escape as he dashed through the smoke following only his blind instincts. Langston gagged on the smoke for a few moments as his sensitive nose burned and then as it cleared he tried to pick up the scent of the wicked lion-kin, yet nothing smelled right.

"Lumia!" Peering through the fading smoke Langston followed the echo of Lucian's voice and spotted Lucian holding the crumpled body of Lumia within his arms shaking it slightly. Walking over to his longtime friend, Langston could already see the tears in Lucian's eyes flowing as he cradled the body of the slain leopard-kin. Langston could feel it, he could tell just by the lifeless look in Lumia's eyes and the position of the wound that the lance had pierced her heart and that Lumia was dead already. "Just hold on Lumia, the healers will be here shortly and everything will be fine, they will patch you right up!"

Lucian felt a hand upon his shoulder and he turned suddenly to Langston, still clutching Lumia to him and Langston could see the slight madness within his gaze mixed with such deep sorrow. For a moment, the two only stared at one another, Langston unsure what to say as Lucian continued to rock back and forth with Lumia held tight to him. Langston tightened his grip on Lucian's shoulder, not knowing what to expect but fearing the look in Lucian's eyes as well as his own grief in his heart, so he spoke his next words softly. "Lucian… Lumia is dead my friend."

"She's not dead!" Lucian growled loudly and glared at Langston in a threatening manner as he tightened his grip on the deathly still body of Lumia. It was there even more now in his eyes, a wild desperate madness that bordered on sheer insanity and Langston clenched his fist as Lucian continued. "We just have to get her to the healers… They can help! She just needs some healing and then some rest, and then we will all go back together, alive and happy!"

The impact of Langston's fist sent Lucian sprawling on the ground and he grabbed Lumia's corpse from Lucian's grasp gently laying it upon the ground before facing Lucian again. The broken wolf-kin was growling and trying to crawl his way back to Lumia's body but Langston stood between them and grabbed Lucian by the collar of his armor hauling him up off the ground with a fearful growl. "What the hell happened here and what happened to you Lucian!"

Seeing Lucian's hand madly grasping for his sword laying on the ground near him only made Langston snarl with anger and his foot lashed out catching Lucian across his face smashing him backwards against a nearby wall. He could not believe his friend and comrade of so many years had fallen so low as to think of raising his sword against him. Langston bared his fangs in frustration. "What is wrong with you Lucian!"

"Lumia is dying, get out of my way Langston! I have to save her, it is my duty and I won't let anyone get in my way!" Lucian was lost in his own mind, unable to accept Lumia's death as he struggled to get to his feet and reach her body. But Langston was there before him in an instant, grabbing Lucian and lifting him off his feet before smashing him against a wall not caring for Lucian's terrible wounds. There was ferocity within Langston's eyes like that of Alial Sazh and Lucian froze his body trembling slightly as his emotions raged out of control within him.

"Lumia is dead damn it! She is dead already and it's entirely your fault!" Langston's grip tightened as he pressed Lucian harder against the broken wall his entire being shaking with barely suppressed fury. Whatever had happened to Lucian must have been maddening, Langston thought, as he stared into Lucian's eyes seeing the insanity within them. "You have to wake up, snap out of whatever has taken hold of you Lucian!"

"She can't be dead! Just need to get the healers here and she will be fine Langston!" Langston could see the desperation in Lucian's eyes, hear it in his friend's voice and he growled with deep distaste at it before speaking again. His grip tightened on Lucian as he struggled to bring him back from the brink.

"Lucian, Lumia is dead, she was stabbed right through the heart and there is no healing within the world that can bring her back!" The fierce power behind those words finally shattered the barrier between Lucian's disbelief and the reality of the situation his eyes opened wide in response. Langston could see he was getting through to Lucian and he pressed forward hoping to snap him out of the horrible state he was in. "Get a hold of yourself Lucian and look at Lumia!"

Langston dragged Lucian over to the body of Lumia and as they got closer Langston could see the dread within Lucian's eyes as the truth of all that had happened began to set in. Each step closer caused Lucian's heart to sink further into despair as he saw the shadow of death upon Lumia's face and it dragged up memories from within the depths of his mind and soul. He could see them all, every moment he had spent at her side since his assignment had begun and everything they had shared with one another. Then he remembered her fateful words earlier that day, the order for his group to stay behind and not aid her in battle until called upon, the orders he had followed that led to this.

"Lumia… She is dead and it is my fault… Langston I cannot be forgiven for what I have done here. I followed orders that she gave me even though I knew in my heart this tragedy might happen, so I am guilty." Langston slowly released his grip upon Lucian as he listened to those words, feeling that his friend was back to thinking straight, but his words and the sadness in his voice betrayed Lucian's heartache. Lucian kneeled down next to Lumia's body, his movements unsteady upon his still badly injured leg and he growled with frustration for a moment then slowly brushed his fingers across Lumia's face closing her slightly open eyes. "I swear Lumia, I won't forget this day, this moment, and I will get revenge for you and those of your kin who fell this day…"

"After that I am sure you know the rest… I was taken into custody against Langston's protests and held to blame for the failure of the entire operation. I was eventually found guilty by my Kin and sent into exile instead of executed because of some complicated circumstances. I spent some years roaming, training myself and trying to track down Alial Sazh in order to get revenge on him for killing Lumia. I was recently following a lead on the location of Alial's secret hideout when I ran into you during that fight with some of his bandits. I was hoping the bastard would have been there…"

Lucian's ears folded back against his head and he growled deeply, his fangs slightly bared at the thought of that bastard Alial still out there free to kill. But then he felt the reassuring squeeze of Sapphira's warm hand wrapped around his and he gave her a small smile. "Lucian, I went there to find those bandits and bring them to justice, but after hearing what you have said I feel like I have to find who betrayed my sister and you. I think I now have an idea who it might be, but I will need to know more from you about what occurred to you and my sister."

Seeing Lucian's hand still shaking a little from the swirling emotions within him, Sapphira softly stroked his hand and then smiled softly at him. "Before we get to all of that seriousness though, I want you to tell me about the first time you met my sister." Lucian was caught off guard by her request and it drew him away from his dark memories and he grinned at Sapphira slightly before leaning his head back. "Well that is one question I have never been asked before…"

"My lady, Lumia Alusia, I am Sir Lucian Greyfold, Commander of the 42nd Assault Knights and I have come to aid you in the destruction of the bandit groups ravaging the local lands." Lucian stood at attention within the large council hall, the silvery stoned walls lined with banners from the Leopard-kin royal family, but he kept his eyes facing forward. Walking down the hall towards him was one of the most gorgeous figures he had ever seen, her feline face flat and emotionless yet those fierce predatory eyes gleamed brightly holding his attention. His stance stiffened as she drew close to him, not bothering to acknowledge his greeting. Lumia's eyes explored his figure as she walked slowly around Lucian until she stopped right before him again.

"Are all wolves as stuffy and boring as you are?" Lumia's voice was cool as ice and dripping with sarcastic boredom as she sighed, turning to walk back to her royal seat and Lucian stood there shocked for a moment by her statement. Suddenly Lumia turned back looking at him, an annoyed look now coming over her features as she cleared her throat loudly and spoke once again filling the hall with her voice. "Are you coming or are you going to stand there looking like gawking statue?"

"Uhhhh… Yes milady I am coming!" Lucian had to suppress a growl as he started walking forward, his strides heavier than they should be as he seethed a little. His pride had just taken a beating and he could only imagine what the rows of Leopard-kin guards were thinking of him now as he walked forward trying to control his anger. This was his first true solo mission and an important one, so Lucian knew he could not afford to let his youthful pride get in the way and he looked up once again at Lumia.

"My you are an interesting wolf indeed, not many of you are so obedient." Lumia grinned at the reaction she got from Lucian, his fists balled slightly as he struggled to maintain his cool front, but she was not interested in seeing that. "Guards, you may leave us, we have much to discuss in private."

Lumia watched as the guards slowly shuffled out of the room and Lucian could only wonder what tortures she might make him endure when not being watched by more of her kin. Once the last guard left the room, Lumia's face broke out with a smile and she suddenly leaned back in her royal throne, yawning while stretching. "Oh thank the goddess they are gone! I hate having to be so pompous and uptight and I hope you feel the same way Lucian. All this royal pride, dressing up, having to act all snobbish and superior gets so damn annoying after a while, wouldn't you agree?"

"Uh yeah I guess, I mean ummm… Yes my lady, it is very annoying at times!" Vaylen was unsure if this was a test, or if she was just messing around with him, but he kneeled anyway just to be sure and the moment he did he heard her sighing with displeasure. The next moment footsteps were approaching him, her footsteps and Lucian braced himself for a reprimand thinking he had failed to please her somehow with his actions.

As she stood over his kneeling body and lowered head, Lucian almost jumped when he felt her hand softly brush through the soft flowing mane along the back of his head then it suddenly ruffles through it as she laughs. "You are acting far too uptight, Sir Lucian Greyfold. You need to relax a little, such tension and stuffiness will not help you upon the battlefield, nor will it help you win my heart…"

"Win your heart!" Lucian looked up with a shocked expression on his face and an embarrassing look upon his features, but all that gave way to a sour look when Lumia burst out laughing at him. She was messing with him and Lucian could not help but smile back at Lumia, this woman was truly a wonder to behold and a mystery all in one.

"That is much better, I prefer that smile upon your face to that stern look you had moments ago. When we are alone like this you may relax yourself and be free to express yourself, just do not take your expressions too far my dear wolf-kin knight." Lumia smiled bowing slightly to Lucian, her eyes so alive with life and passion that Lucian could not help but smile at her.

"And that is how my first meeting with your sister Lumia went," Lucian leaned back against the wall of his dungeon cell and then looked over at Sapphira who was turned away from him shaking slightly. Lucian worried he might have upset her casually reached out to check on Sapphira but she turned from his touch moving away slightly. "Uh, Sapphira, are you ok?"

She turned around and bursted out laughing unable to hold it back any longer. She was almost doubled over as she held her sides and Lucian grinned at her. Her laugh echoed in the dungeon slightly but the sound was like a lovely melody to Lucian and soon he joined her laughter with his own deep chuckling. "That is just like my sister, she sent many a suitor away after their first meeting simply because she did not like their smile or they refused to stop being such royal asses when they were alone together."

"Yes I can see her doing that very easily," Lucian said as he reached out taking Sapphira's hand once again, and the pair smiled a bit at one another along with a glint of something else within their eyes. "Sapphira, you and I will get revenge for your sister together, we can do it if we work together, but we have to figure out who the traitors are in order to do it fully along with killing Alial Sazh."

"Yes we do and I have an idea who those traitors might be now because after hearing your tell the tale and taking into account what I know through official documents it makes sense who it might be." Sapphira's face betrayed a sense of deep thinking and seriousness as she squeezed Lucian's hand softly loving the warmth from it and she flashes him a fang filled grin when an idea comes to her mind. "I have sort of a plan and I want you to help me with detailing it, but I am sure it will work great!"


End file.
